Indoor structures that simulate outdoor environments are used, for example, in dioramas, theaters, and planetaria. Such structures used in dioramas and theaters typically involve ceilings painted either blue to simulate daylight sky or black with painted stars to simulate night sky. Such structures used in planetaria typically include extremely elaborate optical equipment used to project star patterns on a concave surface from a projector located in the same room as the concave surface for the benefit of an audience located in the same room as the concave surface. The former types of structures, however, are not very realistic, and the latter type of structure is extremely expensive. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,848 to Braunstein describes and claims an indoor structure that simulates an outdoor environment wherein an apparatus for providing an illusion of either a daytime or a nighttime sky in an indoor structure consisting of at least one transparent window that appears to be a window to the outside. The room has a ceiling that slants from a high end at or adjacent the front wall to a low end removed from the front wall, the ceiling having an aperture in it, with a concave dome on the outside of the ceiling covering the aperture. The inside surface of the concave dome is light reflecting. Means is provided for shining light of appropriate colors on the light-reflecting, inside surface of the concave dome. The source of the light is concealed from a viewer located on the outside of the front wall.
“U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,872 to Lipson et al. describes a planar advertising display or point-of-purchase display having portions that are selectively illuminable. The display includes an electronic circuit assembly capable of distributing current to each of a plurality of loads pursuant to a pre-programmed sequence. The electronic circuit assembly may include a pre-programmed or programmable integrated circuit chip or a microprocessor that is programmed to sequentially direct electrical current to each of a plurality of electrically conductive wires. The integrated circuit chip and other components on the circuit board may function as an array of solid state switches for alternately permitting or interrupting the flow of current from a power source to each of a plurality of electrically conductive wires. The display further includes a plurality of light emitting diodes that are connected respectively to ends of the electrically conductive wires remote from the circuit board. Thus, current from the wires will selectively activate the light emitting diodes and thereby cause pulses of light to be generated in accordance with a pattern that is dictated by the programmed or programmable components of the circuitry. However, recent studies of LEDs has shown that configurations such as that described in Lipson et al. cause a degradation of the LEDs due to the internal heat generated by such devices, and that the life span of the LEDs are significantly reduced.
The instant invention describes a configuration and wiring system that overcomes the problems of the prior art and produces a controlled light enhancement that provides an asthetic appearance and technology that extends the life span of the LEDs. Neither of the above-described patents provide an apparatus for installation in a home, restaurant or other structure that realistically simulates a nighttime sky.